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by No luck fangirl
Summary: A runaway kid crossed paths with a billionaire. Said man, seeing the kid's condition, decides to lend him a hand. (IronDad / SpiderSon)
1. Fortunate encounter

Summary:

A runaway kid crossed paths with a billionaire. Said man, seeing the kid's condition, decides to lend him a hand.

Future chapters in progress.

**All Marvel-referenced characters of anything here is fully from them. Not mine. I only own the storyline. **

* * *

He ran through the streams of people, past the tall buildings that seemed to touch the sky, stray dogs sleeping at some alleys, and the freezing weather proper of the first days of the year.

Stopping to catch a breath, sweat went down his red-tinted cheeks – from the cold and tiredness alike – and fell onto the white ground. Another streak of wind dashed through. His body shivered. White spots fell from the sky and onto his chestnut hair, slowly but surely making it seem white. Looking up the cloudy sky, his face lit with happiness, wide eyes shining in amazement at the sight of something as simple as snow.

The loudness of the streets did nothing to the kid as he stepped on the snow and smiled with pure joy when he saw it sink. Giggling, he continued his way, this time walking in a slow pace, contemplating the unknown surroundings and repeating to himself over and over again that this wasn't a dream. _This is real._

Not so far away, at the end of the road, a crowd was expectantly looking over to the street, waiting with cameras and around a red carpet for either someone or something. He didn't know who or what, but curiosity is a dangerous thing, and soon it took over him the idea of finding out what was going on.

Suddenly aware of how cold he was, he decided to ask if he could go inside or if they had something that could help keep him warm, seeing that having torn pants and a short-sleeved t-shirt does not help his condition. He was a kid, yet that didn't mean he wan't smart. True, he didn't know what most of the things here are, but that wasn't _his_ fault.

Going over to the crowd, he shivered once more when the cold air made his wet feet feel like ice. Maybe he should not have stepped on the snow without proper shoes. His four-year-old body couldn't take much cold, specially in his condition.

Pouting, he looked up to the nearest person, smiling at the friendly vibe the middle-aged man gave away while he gripped strongly his camera and gulped, clearly nervous for whatever was going to happen soon. Raising his little hand to pull the man's coat and gain his attention, the boy asked with a soft, thin voice, "S-sir?"

Finally conscious of the presence behind him, the man looked around and then, at last, down, taking a fair amount of time to process the kid's looks. Softening his gaze, he kneeled down and smiled.

"What happened, kid? Are you lost?" He asked, yet knowing the kid's parents were probably not near. When the kid shook his head, the man's worry for the kid grew. "My name's Sam. Care to tell me yours?"

"I-- I'm, uh, Peter," he answered. Seeking for warmness, Peter rubbed his hands, at the same time deciding to voice his thoughts. "I'm c-cold… I- Maybe I could go...inside?" He pointed over to the entrance of the luxurious building.

Before the man could respond negatively, the crowd erupted into cheers and flashes, alerting Sam to stand up and immediately start doing the same, taking over one picture per second to capture every movement of the man that just opened the door to exit the parked limousine.

Peter tried to gain Sam's attention again, but failed in the attempt. Seeing he was getting nowhere, he was about to turn around and go, but he feared he will get colder if he didn't get inside somewhere warm, so he made his way to the red carpet and, when he was about to cross by, someone's leg pushed him over and made him fell. His nose hit the ground and he grunted in pain. Nonetheless, this was nothing compared to what he suffered daily, so he decided to stand up and continue his way… just to be stopped by someone in a black suit.

"Hey, kid. Get out of here." Adversely to Sam, this man was tough and strong, arms crossed in front of him to intimidate him. His voice was dark and low, almost like a growl.

Peter's brown eyes widened in fear, hints of tears at the corners of them. Trembling, he tried to get back up, and he would've if his feet didn't feel this muted or drowsy, enough to make him fall again. A little purple because of not having shoes, his for long pale skin started losing its pink color, as though blood drained from his body. He could see the confusion on the man's face, but Peter didn't bother to explain his situation and closed his eyes and small fists tightly, silently hoping for someone to help him.

As if answering his prayers, other person stepped into the scene, telling the robust man to draw to the side and, then, kneeling down to get a better look of Peter. "Hi," he greeted casually, with such carelessness in his tone that made Peter calm down. He was wearing a clean, grey suit with a white and wine strip-designed tie, orange-tinted sunglasses on his face.

"H-hi..." Peter greeted back, still not moving. The person, after glancing over Peter's poor clothing, stood up and said something to the black-suited man, taking more than one peer at Peter as if making sure he was still there.

Kneeling down to Peter's height, he took off his sunglasses and leaned over him, enveloping him in a hug and standing with Peter still in his arms, embracing the boy thus warming him up. Peter would've pulled away if not for the man's dearness and natural warmth, preventing his almost frozen limbs from worsening. Then, he noticed that said warmth didn't come just from the man's body itself but from a light emanating from his chest. He lifted his hand and carefully touched it, observing amazed the bluish blaze. He relaxed, whereas the man smiled to himself.

Suddenly, a picture was taken. And, consequently, one by one the cameras flashed, the pressmen asking all kind of questions about the kid, wondering if this was a sincere act of goodness or if all was planned.

Overwhelmed by the unexpected flashes, Peter buried his face in the man's chest, shutting his eyes with force and clutching onto the older's clothes as he tried not to remember the horrible things he went through. The dreadful noise of his own grievous and pleading screams and the unbearable feeling of weakness are the two most terrible things he'd ever experienced. And he certainly doesn't want to feel them ever again.

He just escaped the place he used to call home, he didn't want to remember anything from there.

The grip around him tightened and Peter became aware of being dragged away from the cameras' view and inside the large, dreamful building. Warily, he opened his brown tearful eyes, gazing over the room and then fixing on the door, shuddering when he thought of what awaited outside.

"You okay there, kiddo?" The deeper voice of his saviour took him out from his trance. He took note of the events, now able to register the lack of cold wind and realizing that, for once, he felt _save_.

Thinking about the man's question, Peter smiled and pushed back to look better at the older's face. "Yeah! Thank you sir. My name is Peter. What is yours?" He asked, no longer stuttering but full of wonder and rushing energy that didn't fail to show in his voice.

With a wide smile, the man responded to the boy's question.

"Call me Tony."


	2. The kid

Note:

First of all, thank you so much for following and/or putting this story in your favorites! Also for the comments!

This story was meant to be, at first, a long one-shot, but I decided against it. I'll be updating each weekend (that if school lets me). If you notice some grammar mistakes, don't feel bad to tell me (English is not my native language).

So, there you go! Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Tony Stark is a busy person.

Then again, he didn't always do what he was supposed to do. If it weren't for his lovely girlfriend, Tony wouldn't attend half of the meetings or conferences he was supposed to attend to. (Pepper Potts is the best woman Tony has ever met, and he never once regrets dating her).

Each morning, after his struggle of leaving his perfectly comfy bed, he did his morning routine: getting coffee plus a (not entirely) healthy breakfast while hearing at his girlfriend's voicemail telling him what he had for the day. And, as every common morning, this one was no different.

When Tony first woke up, he didn't take note on the cold weather. He was a mechanic, an inventor. Inventing things was his daily routine, so no one should be surprised of his home having a heating system installed. Though, after looking out the window, he almost shivered when he thought of just being outside, freezing while standing under the white snow some kids somewhere were surely playing with. But he was no kid, and playing under the snow didn't seem as fun anymore.

Grabbing the previously made breakfast, he took a sip from his cup of coffee and went for a bath. He had a meeting no more than two hours away so if he wanted to get there on time he had to get ready soon.

"Why couldn't I just use my suit? It's much more convenient if you ask me." Tony tried convincing Rhodey that he could have gotten faster to the meeting if he had used his Iron-Man suit, but he seemed to think otherwise and didn't let him. Apparently, he '_couldn't make decisions for himself' _and_ 'had to be ordered around_'. But he couldn't complain. After all, they were going to discuss the incorporation of his suits into the army, something that, even if he had established wouldn't happen, people (especially the military) were bound to ask endlessly until Tony would give it up. Not that they didn't know that wouldn't happen, though. That said, showing up to the meeting with the suit on would only raise their spirits.

"But no one did," was the sarcastic answer the soldier told him.

Tony contemplated for himself all the way, thinking about how different all would be if he hadn't been kidnapped. Sure, it wasn't a fun experience, at all, but he learned from it and he wouldn't be the same man (and hero) without that happening.

Happy, his driver, managed to avoid as much traffic as he could, but they still were getting a few minutes late to the meeting.

On the way, Tony entertained himself looking outside the window. As he imagined, kids were playing with snow all over the city; building snowmen, having snowball fights, or just laying on the white ground while they laughed at each other. They were having fun, enjoying this time of the year as much as any other. Tony, in a way, admires that of a child, the way they can cherish everything and avoid thinking about their problems – although minimal, as they are young and don't have as much problems as an adult– and just… have fun.

When Tony stepped out of the limousine, he was met with flashes from the tons of pictures the paparazzi were taking. That was part of the reason why he used his orange-tinted sunglasses even at winter. It helped keeping him from flinching at the constant bright lights flashing directly onto his face.

Tony started walking, deciding he was late enough. However, the voice of his bodyguard/driver picked his attention.

"Hey, kid. Get out of here," Happy said, folding his arms in front of him while looking down on a trembling kid. Tony frowned, his expression matching a man at his side, who stopped taking pictures to take a look on what was happening with the little boy, debating if he should interfere or not. Tony was thinking that too, but when he saw his the kid couldn't even stand up and noticed his condition; his pale skin slowly turning purple because of the lack of clothing, terrified expression, and thin body that was – probably – a consequence of eating poorly, he didn't hesitate to step into the situation.

Tony grabbed Happy's shoulder, tapping it two times to make him know he would take care of the situation. He kneeled down and took off his sunglasses, eyeing closely his looks.

"Hi," he greeted, trying not to sound worried so the kid won't be scared of him. It took some seconds, but the kid greeted back.

"H-hi…" Although he stuttered, Tony was happy he said something. People with a difficult past, especially children, tend to close up and talk to no one. The fact that this lid was able to talk to a stranger like him is comforting and gives him some hope that it is possible to bring back the kid's happiness. He will try to prevent anything that could make him uncomfortable, maybe that's the way to deal with this. Without much experience with kids, Tony could not say he's an expert.

Leaning towards the kid, Tony rounded him with his arms, silently hoping he wouldn't freak out. Thankfully, the boy relaxed on his hold, subsiding his tremors. Tony could tell the kid instantly acknowledged the warm contact of their body warmth. However, not helping his growing concern, he was as heavy as a feather and as thin as a stick.

The kid touched his chest, and Tony assumed, because of his awestruck expression, that he had noticed the arc reactor in his chest. He smiled to himself, relieved that he was able to help.

Nevertheless, when the first picture was taken and he felt the grip on his clothes tighten and he could feel the kid's body beginning to tremble again, Tony's smile fell. Tony embraced him strongly, raising his head just to glare at the reporters before going into the building.

When he closed the door, the cold decayed immediately. Tony glanced towards the door, glad it was over already (both the paparazzi and the coldness of the weather). "You okay there, kiddo?" He turned his attention to the kid, sending him a comforting smile, noticing he did the same, his eyes brightening as he pushed back and saw directly into the older's eyes.

"Yeah! Thank you sir. My name is Peter. What is yours?" Tony truly treasured Peter's change of mood. Seeing that he still had the energy everyone should have at his age was certainly heartwarming.

With a wide smile, he responded to the boy's question. "Call me Tony."

Right then, Rhodey entered the lobby, quirking an eyebrow when he saw Tony smile. Nevertheless, Tony just shrugged and motioned towards Peter. Understanding, Rhodey sighed, _he was so done with Tony's shit_. "You know, you have a meeting. You can _not_ bring the kid."

Tony huffed and, rolling his eyes, said, "They won't mind."

"Yes, they will. Give me the kid, I'll take him to child services." Rhodey extended his arms, but Tony just glared at him.

"Just cancel the meeting. _I_ will take care of him," Tony said just before putting on his sunglasses and going to the back door, ignoring his friend's protests. Pepper would surely have his head, but there was a more important matter to take care of.

"Won't your friend be mad?" Peter asked worriedly, taking his gaze off the dark skinned man. He looked at Tony, who had told J.A.R.V.I.S. to send his suit seconds ago.

"Don't worry, he'll get over it." Tony smiled at him and leaned down on one knee to put him down. Peter, however, didn't want to let go, so he tightened his grip and shook his head rapidly to make his point. "It will just be for one second, all right?" Tony left Peter sitting on the floor, as Peter's feet were still numb and he couldn't stand for himself. He opened the door and, after a minute, he had his suit on. When he turned around, Peter's eyes shined in amazement, not taking his gaze off the metallic red and golden armour from one second. "Like it?" Tony grinned, his voice sounding robotic.

"That was so cool!" Peter exclaimed, excited.

Tony lifted Peter off the floor and stepped outside, increasing the heat that emanated from the arc reactor to warm Peter up. Then, he took flight, embracing Peter closely to protect Peter from the cold wind and snowy weather.

At first, Peter yelled in surprise, but soon he was laughing, enjoying the thrilling sensation that flooded through his veins.

* * *

When they got to the Avengers Tower and Tony had taken off his suit, Peter smiled widely as he wandered over the suite, while Tony approached the bar and served two glasses of water, offering one of them to Peter. The kid thanked him, but had to smell what it contained before determining it was safe to drink.

Tony's smile flattered at that. Was this kid afraid of accepting a glass of _water_?

"Come," Tony said, motioning for Peter to take a seat at the coach. They sat in silence, side by side, for some minutes, that until the elevator rang and Pepper entered the room, bringing with her a medium sized black bag. "Hey, honey. Brought what I asked for?"

Pepper sighed in defeat and gave him the bag. "You won't get out of this one, Tony. But I understand. You have the rest of the day free. I will be calling child services for–"

"Thank you Pepper but I think it's better to handle it myself," Tony interrupted her, leaving his empty glass on the table before standing and giving her a peck on her lips. He leaned over and patted her back, walking her to the elevator. "There's _something_ about him. I don't think he is _just_ a lost child."

Pepper took a peek towards Peter, who was playfully swinging his legs at the coach. "Okay. But I want to know everything," she accepted, hugging her boyfriend and entering the elevator.

The room was quiet again, and Tony didn't know where to begin. If he was being honest, all happened too fast. At first, he wanted to just let the kid's case be handled by child services, as Pepper and Rhodey proposed, but Peter seemed... off. Yes, he came with him and Tony gained his trust somehow, but he could feel that Peter didn't feel totally safe here. When they first got here, Peter wandered around the room, and Tony didn't ignore that his gaze stopped where the elevator and the ventilation system were. It was as if he checked for ways of escaping the place.

"J.A.R.V.I.S.," Tony called in a soft voice, trying to not be heard by Peter.

"Sir?" The A.I. responded through the earpiece.

"Search for records on the child. Hack any system if you need to." Tony didn't wait for an answer and chose to get to know Peter himself first. He approached the coach and sat down again, opening the bag Pepper gave him. "Here," he started, gaining Peter's attention, "are some clothes that may fit you. Want help putting them on?" Peter's eyes sparkled and nodded his head eagerly, earning another smile from the billionaire.

The outfit was simple; a red t-shirt, black pants, a jean jacket, and white socks and sneakers. However, judging by the kid's current looks, this was a great improvement.

Peter took his shirt off, and then Tony knew his case was worse than he imagined.


	3. Scarred

Never minding the unease on his chest, Peter decided Tony was a man of trust.

The red and golden coloured armour that Tony presented to him felt as if taken into reality from his most forbidden dreams, and the kid stayed gawking at it for a fair amount of time. Nevertheless, when the suit shot up and a rush of wind stroked his whole body, Peter feared for his safety. What calmed him down was the solid hold the armoured man had on him.

He restrained his eyes from opening until a few minutes had passed and it appeared to him that nothing dangerous would happen. His high-pitched scream stopped as soon as he saw how high they were flying (which was hard to believe itself), replaced by the loud gasp that escaped his lips.

The thrilling sensation of crossing the skies and defying all kind of out-of-world thoughts a child's mind could imagine seemed crazy. His young mind of course dreamed about a lot of crazy stuff, none of which Peter thought would become real (then again, he thought gaining his freedom was impossible a few hours ago).

Peter could no longer say he was an innocent child, however, his laugh is something he'd never lose. That's why, the rest of the flight, he laughed in joy, feeling secure under in the billionaire's protection.

When he first catched a glimpse of the tall building they were heading to, Peter couldn't help but analyze it, searching for failures on its structure. As quick as he did that, he stopped, frowning when he realized he did it in pure instinct. Aware of his own insecurities, he decided to avoid thinking about that place, wanting to push away those memories for as long as he's be able to.

Nevertheless, habits can't disappear from one day to another and, soon, after Tony took his suit off (which was pretty cool), he founded himself at the living room, seeking for possible exits. He shook off his thoughts again and continued to follow Tony. Both sat on the champagne coloured coach.

After a moment, a red-headed woman entered the room, and Peter wondered if she could be trusted. And, by the way both adults interacted, he opted for ignoring those concerns and not assume the worst of the woman.

He didn't think much of the encounter. Now, the bag Tony was currently holding was a different topic. He was curious. And maybe more than a little anxious. Secrets and surprises haven't worked nicely for him in the past, and he can't help but doubt of the unknown content of the bag. Its shape was rather smooth, and no pointy edges could be seen. If there wasn't a weapon, what was there? He could only assume the worst from his past experiences, so he decided to just wait until it was revealed to him.

Unknownst to the two adults at the room, Peter heard clearly Tony's voiced concerns about the situation. However, rather than panic and flee the place, Peter wondered if this man would keep him safe and away from the people he scarcely escaped from.

With the quick visit over, Peter and Tony founded themselves once again sitting on the coach. Peter was waiting silently for the reveal, swinging his legs in eagerness. Meanwhile, Tony opened the bag, taking out a set of clothes.

"Here are some clothes that may fit you. Want help putting them on?" Tony asked, and Peter nodded his head eagerly, sparkling eyes scanning the change of clothing, not noticing the wide smile that appeared on the billionaire's face.

They were in a good condition, and Peter was almost certain they were new. His current clothing have been his for a long time. He had no other piece of material that protected his body from the cold, and the ones he was wearing at the time did a terrible job. Back there, their use was more for not be naked than keeping him warm.

Like he usually did when cleaning up, Peter started with taking off his shirt, exposing his thin, pale belly along with, remorsefully, the very visible scars that littered it. His arms and legs showed the less amount of scars, and they were visible despite how dirty they were. However, he guesses Tony didn't notice until just now as, unsurprisingly, he was staring at those cursed reminders of his past (he liked to think was), complete shock evidenced by his expression; mouth opening and closing slightly, trembling lip, and open-wide eyes.

Gulping, Tony turned serious. Although the fondness of his look never disappeared, Peter couldn't help the urge to sink and make himself invisible. He didn't want Tony to know, but it seems than he would've to at least tell him about these scars, being that he couldn't lie forever. Having these isn't normal, and Peter knows that. The men of _that_ place and the people he has seen on his way here hadn't had any, so, by the looks of it, Peter would need to tell at least part of the truth.

"Peter," Tony started, clearing his throat. He saw straight to Peter's eyes and said, "What happened to you?"

Peter turned away, gripping with force his worn out shirt because of hs nerves. He tried breathing in a constant rhythm to calm down. He opened his mouth and closed it again, unable to find the words to tell Tony what he wanted to hear.

Tony, seeing this, softened his frown. "I know it _must _be difficult for you, Peter. I don't expect less. But if you want me to help you," he took one of his arms caressing the marks on it with his hands, his eyes wandering over each of them, "you have to be honest with me."

He felt the urge to shook his head in denial, but Peter forced himself to speak. "...the people there were always treating me bad. I– I don't know why, but-- it's been like that since I can remember. I don't-- I don't want to g-go back there…" His eyes were glossy and his voice wavered when he talked, and his armed trembled even with Tony holding them both. At some point of his talking, Peter had directed his sight back to Tony, so now, after he blinked the tears away and his sight wasn't as blurry as before, he could perfectly distinguish how sorrowful Tony's expression was.

Tony leaned on and embraced him in a hug, rubbing his back for comfort while Peter remained stoick, not trusting himself not to cry is he as much as returned the hug. He was never allowed to cry unless it was truly inevitable, and he didn't know if this was or not the case yet.

Nonetheless, he hopes it isn't, and that this caring man won't turn out to be a big build up lie. Because, after everything he's been through, Peter just wants someone he can rely on that won't hurt him in return.


End file.
